Analyzer devices are important work tools and systems in laboratory analytics in the clinical area, chemical and pharmaceutical area, in immunology etc. Modern analyzer devices are conceived in a modular manner and provide for fully automated laboratory work. Different modules relate to different fields of analytics, using for example dispenser technology or pipette technology. Reagents used in the analytical work are usually provided in individual reagent containers, wherein one or more reagent containers are placed in a reagent container carrier structure. Reagent container carrier structures are well-known in this field of technology under various terms such as racks, cassettes, cartridges etc. For ease of reference, all these holding devices will be referred to as carrier structures or reagent container carrier structures throughout this application.
In the course of the analyzing process, one or more carrier structures holding each at least one reagent container are placed in a respective analyzer device. In order for the analyzer device to be able to treat the inserted carrier structure properly, i.e. identifying its content etc., each carrier structure usually comprises a barcode label on its outer surface. The analyzer device in turn comprises a barcode reader installed in such a manner that the barcode information contained on the label of the carrier structure can be read and transferred to a computing and control unit of the analyzer device.
With the introduction of RFID technology in laboratory work, particularly for identification of reagent work probes, RFID assemblies on test tubes and other reagent containers have become more and more widespread.
US 2006/0239867 A1 discloses specimen cassettes for laboratory samples including RFID tags that provide identifying information, such as accession and block numbers.
WO 2006/041482 A1 discloses an automatic blood analysis and identification process permitting patient identification and other vital information to be automatically printed directly on a container holding a sample of a body fluid sample almost immediately after the sample has been drawn and analyzed. There is no manual handling of the sample between the draw and the identification. The process for analyzing the body fluid includes placing the body fluid sample in a container which is placed in a fluid analyzing unit. The sample is analyzed to determine characteristics of the body fluid which are then transferred to the container. The system may utilize radio frequency identification technology to communicate electronic data bearing the information to an RFID inlet associated with the container.
US 2006/0213964 A1 discloses a sample container comprising an RFID tag positioned near the open end of the sample container, and further discloses a sample handling apparatus operating with one or more sample containers and including a robotic assembly for moving a sample probe device and a sample probe supported by a guide of the sample probe device.
US 2005/0205673 A1 discloses a biological reagent carrier device employing RFID technology to associate information with biological reagents. The carrier supports the biological reagent and at least one RFID tag including a carrier RFID antenna coupled to the carrier, wherein the RFID tag is operable to be read by an RFID reader, and the RFID tag can include identification, supplemental, and all rights information for the biological reagent.